Severe storm batters Trego County

Thursday

Aug 10, 2017 at 4:35 PMAug 11, 2017 at 8:40 AM

Eric Wiley @EWileySJ

Strong wind and hail up to the size of softballs battered the Trego County area about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, bringing down power lines and damaging buildings, according to county Emergency Management Director Kathleen Fabrizius.

“We’re still assessing damage, but a lot has happened within the county and in WaKeeney,” she said.

Fabrizius said numerous county residents were without power late Thursday afternoon, vehicles were overturned, trees were down, and accidents had have occurred throughout the county and along county highways.

“The windows in the courthouse have been blown out and there is damage to the hospital (Wakeeney Family Care Center). The hospital has closed and everyone is being routed to the emergency room,” she said. “Cars have shattered windows and numerous other county buildings may have damage to them as well.”

Asked whether the damage was caused by straight-line winds or a tornado, Fabrizius said, “We did not see a tornado with all of the hail that’s going on.”

“The damage that’s occurred certainly looks like it could have come from a tornado. It’s hard to tell whether it was from straight-line winds and hail or a tornado,” she said. “We have storm spotters out and they mentioned seeing a wall cloud and rotation, but did not confirm a tornado.”

A spokesperson with the National Weather Service in Dodge City said that as of 4:20 p.m. Thursday, there was no confirmation of a tornado in Trego County.

Tod Hileman, Kansas Highway Patrol Troop D public resource officer, said “there was evidence of a tornado” that began “west of Kansas Highway 147 and went across the highway.”

“There’s a semi truck down on I-70, a lot of pole lines down and tree damage near Cedar Bluff Lake,” he said. “We have multiple troopers working multiple crashes.”

Hileman said the Kansas Department of Transportation planned to light up sign boards along the highway to notify drivers of the heavy fog and low visibility in the area.